Aston Martin DB9DB91 Nov 2004 THE DB9 was the first vehicle built at Aston Martin’s new plant in Gaydon, England. It was also the first to be constructed using an ultra-lightweight aluminium-bonded frame derived from Aston’s VH (Vertical/Horizontal) platform that went on to underpin all Aston models. Power came from a all-alloy, 48-valve 6.0-litre V12 engine mated to either a six-speed manual or six-speed ‘Touchtronic’ automatic with paddle-shifts. Performance stats of a sprint to 100km/h in five seconds and an electronically limited top speed of 264km/h ensured credibility. In August 2005 the Volante convertible joined the range, featuring a fully retractable hood that was stored flush with the rear bootline when closed, allowing the car to retain a smooth and elegant profile. The electric hood could retract in 17 seconds, stored under a hard tonneau cover flush with the DB9’s bodywork. Despite the added complexity of the folding mechanism, the Volante offered luggage space of 197 litres and two rear seats. Twin pop-up rollover hoops would activate from behind the rear seat headrests in the event of an accident. Front-seat passengers were protected by the windscreen A-pillars that can withstand twice the car’s weight. June 2010 saw a facelift for the DB9 range, which saw a two-stage adaptive damping system become standard to sharpen handling while improving ride comfort. Also added was a tyre-pressure monitoring system, revised Bluetooth microphone system, new ‘Double Apex’ alloy-look trim and new Bang & Olufsen hi-fi audio options. Externally, cosmetic changes included a new front bumper with ‘bright-finish’ grille and reprofiled lower air-intake featuring bright hexagonal mesh, plus new headlight bezels, restyled side sills with a more prominent ‘hockey stick’ accents ahead of the rear wheels, silver brake callipers, 20-spoke diamond-turned alloy wheels and clear tail-light lenses. When it was new |
Aston Martin models |